Allah’s bestowing a blessing upon the person he envies. Furthermore, the envious person—or the person consumed by envy—fails to recognize Allah’s bounty in any blessing Allah grants him, no matter how great, because he will inevitably see someone else possessing a blessing greater than the one Allah bestowed upon him, and so he belittles his own blessing. Even if we suppose that he possesses immense wealth, when a merchant makes a substantial profit on a particular commodity, you will find this envious person begrudging him that profit, despite himself possessing many millions. The same applies to knowledge: if someone distinguishes himself in a particular matter of knowledge, you will find the envious person begrudging him the distinction he has attained, even if he himself is more knowledgeable. This necessarily entails belittling Allah’s blessing upon him. Envy is therefore a grave matter, and its consequences are dire. Others enjoy what is good, while the person consumed by envy is mired in misery: he keeps track of the blessings Allah bestows upon His servants, and whenever he sees a blessing, it becomes a burning ember in his heart. Even if the only reason to recoil from envy were that it is one of the traits of the Jews, that alone would suffice.
“Another lesson of the verse is that the Jews and Christians know Islam to be a tremendous distinction for anyone who follows it. This is indicated by His words, ‘out of envy,’ for a person envies only something that is good and meritorious. This is also indicated by Allah Most High’s words: ‘Neither those who disbelieve among the People of the Book nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord.’ [Al-Baqara: 105]
“Another lesson is that it exposes the vile inward disposition of those who wish disbelief upon us, as indicated by His words, ‘from within themselves.’ Their wish is prompted neither by any scripture nor by any mistreatment from the Muslims; rather, it comes from within themselves—from vile souls that, out of envy, wish disbelief upon the Muslims.” End quote. (1)
I say: A difficulty may be raised here: Allah Most High praised competing in goodness, saying, “So for this let the competitors compete.” The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also said: “There is no envy except in two cases: a man to whom Allah has given the Quran and who stands reciting it throughout the night and day, and a man to whom Allah has given wealth and who spends it throughout the night and day.” Al-Bukhārī gave this the chapter heading, “Chapter: Wishing for the Like of Another’s Knowledge and Wisdom.” How, then, can Allah condemn the Jews’ action and mention it by way of reproach, even though they envied the Muslims for goodness